Thursday, February 4, 2016

Ecuador Through Calvin's Eyes

When we realized Calvin would be making this epic trip to Ecuador with me, he said he wanted to blog for me one of the days. I have to say, I've enjoyed sitting here chatting with my friends tonight while he sweats it out at the laptop. :)

He and I talked a couple of times over the course of the past few days, jotting some notes so his post didn't end up a bullet list of fascinating facts about the country. No offense to bullet lists. But I want you to know, this is his heart, typed hunt-and-peck-style with his two pointer fingers. I encouraged him to think hard about what he most wanted to say, and allow God to speak to his heart about what to share. I helped him with some very minor edits (oh, commas!) after he completed his draft.

I gotta say, I'm quite fond of this young man. (Sidenote: I am not alone! The Ecuadorian women have been fawning all over him all week as though he's the Prince of a foreign land. Yesterday alone he was kissed five times by strangers!)

I present to you, Calvin Lee.

Hello, I am Calvin Martin and I am almost 11. My mom and I are on a missions trip for Compassion International. It is a group that releases kids from poverty through Jesus' name. They have set up stations in 26 countries! Well, my mom and I were lucky enough to go on the trip to South America. It has been a powerful trip so far and it ends tomorrow! My family is sponsoring a child named Josue. He is the cutest, sweetest 5 year old boy in the world. We are so lucky to sponsor a child like him.

Our second day on the Ecuador trip we met him in his home. It was a small house painted yellow. The mom and the children were so welcoming and they let us walk right in. Three of the family members were sponsored including Josue. Josue had a toy truck and a deck of cards and was so content with what he had and wanted to share his toys with me. His cousin and sister that were also sponsored gave us probably the only bracelets that they had. Now that we are sponsoring I feel like I have a brother from a different mother. Which God has actually used to impact my life because it showed me that there are people from different countries that have less than me but are the same age as me. It showed me a new perspective of the world.

Yesterday we helped with the daily life in a mountain home. It was the most inspiring thing I've done yet. This family had 13 people, 11 sons and daughters and the parents. They were
so poor that they did not eat breakfast and only had corn soup for every
meal. We helped shuck corn and make a stew. The people that were there were severely poor but what I thought was that the poorer the person the larger the heart because the whole time they were laughing and singing and talking. It's almost like people who have less maybe have more, in the spiritual side of life.

One of my favorite verses since I was little says "The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) This makes me think of my new friends from this trip.

When I get home I think I will be changed because I will compare myself to Josue and the people in Ecuador and will see the difference between us. But also the similarity in our lives, for example we both like soccer but we play with different equipment. We both have dreams.

58 comments:

I read this to my own 5 year old love from Korea. He was really interested in the whole story and how it relates to our Compassion child in Uganda. Thank you Calvin for sharing. Nathan thought it was so cool to read a post from another Korean adoptee.

Thank you, Calvin! I'm in tears because my husband is from Ecuador, my daughters are growing up with both cultures and nationalities and the way you have fallen in love with the country and the people is so heart warming. You are so special to see these people how God sees them. It's personal to me and my family because we are deeply connected to Ecuador, but this is also such an amazing tribute to the people of Ecuador for the whole world to see what an amazing culture and country it is. Thank you for loving them, thank you for sharing your experience. May God bless you! P.S. we sponsor a child in Ecuador as well, and you've inspired me to be even more involved with him than I have been. Thanks!

Calvin you're a star! Not only because you wrote your first blog, because you were willing to be used by Jesus and accept the fact that sometimes the poorest really are the richest with joy and happiness. God is done a great thing in you, and as much as your new brother from another mother has impacted you – you have also impacted him. Only God knows when you will meet again face-to-face. You have both left such a lasting legacy behind in one another's life and memory. That in itself is a gift. Thanks for letting God use you in Josue's life and the lives of so many in Ecuador. In the meantime, continue to reach out for those who need Jesus more, in your school, neighborhood, taekwondo class. Jesus takes us further than anything else in life. And I know you live the truth daily in your own life. I love you! I'm proud of you! Xx Auntie Keisha

By the way we (Hans-David and myself) have a NEW SPONSOR from EQUATOR. He's nearly 2 years older than HDTV and I hope they'll be pin-pals in time :) Maybe you'll even be able to take HD to Equator someday and meet our little Jeferson. Thanks for encouraging us to join COMPASSION in their efforts of sharing Jesus and basic care with little Jeferson. xx Love you Calvin

Calvin - Thank you for sharing your story here. It has been so much fun to get to know you and watch you this week. Corbett is going to have such a hard time not seeing you again soon. Maybe you can convince your mom to bring you to Oklahoma! This post is amazing and so very good. You are one incredible young man!

This is great Calvin! It's so thoughtful..... just like you! :-) It has been such a blessing to go on this trip with you! I am going to always remember our time together. You're a fantastic friend.-Caleb

What great insights, Calvin! It is so wonderful that you were able to see how others live and how what we do, even from as far away as America, can make their lives better. I pray you will continue to allow God to grow you up to be a man who honors Him with your life...

Calvin, my friend, you are wise and compassionate beyond your years. I'm so glad you got to meet Josue and experience daily life in his country--I'm praying this is just the start of a lifelong kinship between the two of you. Thanks for sharing your heart.

I think this trip is something you will remember for your whole life. (I remember a missions trip I went on when I was about your age. And like you said, it did change me...in a very good way.) Thank you for sharing your side of the story. I have loved following you and your mom through the blog. P.S. I have a grandson about your age and his name is Calvin too!

Calvin! You're an old soul, man. And that's a good thing!!! Jesus is showing you things about His world and His people that it takes some of us grown ups years to learn. Praying your heart continues to hold all the good things that you are being given. I love watching choose to people like you to glorify Himself.

Calvin,thank you for sharing your heart with us! I loved reading about this week through your eyes! Seeing the pictures of you with Josue and the other kids was SO beautiful! You have a BIG heart, just like your momma, and you brought joy and hope to your new friends, by being the amazing guy you are! Thank you for going - I'm sure parts of it were hard, but your willingness to go has changed lots of people this week. You are SO awesome!!

Calvin! I'm so proud of you for following Jesus and for your love for the people of Ecuador and Josue. Your story is amazing! I LOVE when your mom posts pictures of you because you look like you could be my little brother. We look so similar and we are both adopted from South Korea! Always be brave! I know you're going to do amazing things in your life.

This was so touching Calvin. You have learned more in a few days than most adults learn in a life time. You are experiencing the power of a mighty God. Hold fast to this truth. No one's opinion or words ever stop you from dreaming BIG. Ephesians 3:20 We love you so very much Cal.

"A brother from another mother." "The poorer the person the larger the heart." Oh my goodness, what wisdom right there. Calvin, your beautiful heart just shone through every word of this post. In your honor, I am going to try to see everyone I meet as my "brother from another mother." Thanks for touching my heart today.

Wow.... I read this with tears in my eyes. What a blessing this trip has been not only for the families you have met, but for you and your mom. I can "see" it in the posts. May God continue to bless you all.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting your son share this! I'm going to let my 11 year old daughter read this & the other 2 boys' stories as well. We sponsor a girl in Ghana, but my daughter has not got involved, with out my "prompting". I will pray that these young men's stories will be a tool in God's hand to touch her heart. Please thank you son for me? ~Nancy

Thanks for introducing us to your new friends, Calvin!! What fun to get to meet them and learn more about Ecuador. Thank you for teaching us grown ups how easy it is to make friends no matter if we speak the same language or live in the same country or not. That is such a great lesson!

Thanks for introducing us to your new friends, Calvin!! What fun to get to meet them and learn more about Ecuador. Thank you for teaching us grown ups how easy it is to make friends no matter if we speak the same language or live in the same country or not. That is such a great lesson!

Oh, my goodness! Calvin...when are you going to write your own book? So many things you said are so powerful.."the poorer the person , the larger the heart"..I learned this to be true as well, when my family lived in the Dominican Republic. My girls were about your age when we lived there and the people they met, the lessons they learned about less being more, carry on with them in their adult life. I am so thankful you got to go and so thankful that you shared so much with us and because of you and your mom and the other bloggers, I am choosing a son or daughter to sponsor from the Dominican Republic in hopes that one day I will get to meet them , but more importantly that through the sponsorship, they will know the love of Jesus. Thank you again, Calvin , for touching so many through your words!

Dear Calvin - Do you feel different, now that you've been on this trip? I am guessing that you DO feel different. I an see a difference in your face and in your countenance. I see & feel Joy in you when I see all of the photos of you and I also hear it in the words you have written here. I admire your willingness to just fit in and play with the other kids you've met.I am so excited to watch you change and grow in the coming days, weeks, months and years, You are a super cool kid,

Calvin, I loved reading your post. It is clear that you are an amazing young man with a very kind heart. Already at your young age you have a lot of insight and wisdom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

. . . I will be changed because I will compare myself to Josue and the people in Ecuador and will see the difference between us. But also the similarity in our lives, for example we both like soccer but we play with different equipment. We both have dreams.

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